Geoege s



(No Model.)

' G. S. EATGN.

BURIAL GASKET.

No. 274.5715. Patented Mar.27, 1883.

UNrrEn STATES PATENT GEORGE S. EATON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAM A. FRENCH, OF SAME FLACE.

BURlAL-CASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,575, dated March 27, 1883, Application lllcd September 4, i882. (No model.)

To all whom it may conce-rn Be it known that I, GEORGE S. EATON, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Burial-Gaskets, of which the following is a spccilication.

In the burial of the dead the habit of public funeral services has rendered it appropriate that the coffin or casket of the deceased should not be objectionable in its appearance, and that it should be suitable for public inspection, and for being conveyed t0 the grave in the open or glass hearse usually employed.

The burial-caskets generally employed are costly, and the fear of olfending others or of showing alack of respect to the deceased, leads many into extravagant expenses for funerals that deprive the living of necessities.

Efforts have been made to provide a showy or handsome exterior dummy-casket, which holds the remains inv an ordinary plain coffin during the funeral services and during transportation to the grave.

My improvement, as distinguished from the mock or dummy coftins that have heretofore existed, relates to the lpeculiar construction hereinafter set forth, for more conveniently exposing the face of the deceased and for removing the Collin from the casket at the time of burial.

In the drawings, Figure l is across-section ofthe casket and coffin. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the coffin detached from the cas ket. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of lthecashet rpartially open, the removedy lid being shown below 3 and Fig. llis a cross-section of a casket and coffin, the casket having inclined sides.

The coffin a is of a size and shape adapted to the reception of the body. It may be of any suitable wood, and either plain, stained,

" or varnished, or it may be of niet-al or earthenware, or other material, The lid I) c of the coffin is preferably made in two pieces, the division being near the middle, so thatY the portion o canv be removed, and the portion b left in place over the lower 'part of the body and ogs.

The casket is made ofligh t, strong material. It has a bottom, e, sides j", and removable cov ers, h lo, and a movable end, l. These parts are to be of any usual or desired construction. They, however, will usually be of wood, covered with cloth, according to the present preferred style, with silvered mountings, and handles, by which the casket is moved from the place ofthe funeral exercises to the hearse or grave. The two-part cover h k is either hinged in place or held by dowels or screws, so that the part 1c can be removed to allow the deceased to be seen. Around the inner part of the casket, near the edge of the opening in the top, there is an ornamental lining, border, or shrouding, o, secured so that after the coffin has been placed in thecasket, with the lid portion c removed, the lining can be drawn over the edge of the codln and passed down inside the same, around the form of the deceased, and give the appearance of a lining to the cofln or casket, and entirely hide the coffin itself.

It will new be understood that during the funeral exercises the lid of the casket may be closed. Afterward the lid portion k can be lifted off, and the friends view the deceased; then that the lining can be drawn from inside the coffin and passed down outside the coliiu, between the same and the inside of the casket. The half cover of the coffin, which usually will be inside the casket, is placed upon the coin and screwed on firmly. The cover k of the casket is then closed, being screwed down or otherwise secured in any convenient manner. The casket and contents are then transported to the grave, and the movable end of the casket opened and the cctlin slipped out endwise and buried. It is to be observed that the casket having a two-partlid thatisreinovable gives facility for introducing and properly I'placing the coffin, and that the movable endv to the casket can be taken off while the casket is in the hearsejand there will be nothing objectionablc in appearance, and the codn will take less space for burial than the large cases here tofore usual.

The movable end of the casket should be hinged at one side with slip-hinges, and provided With a lock, so that it will be firmly secured when in place, but can be lifted oil' when unlocked.

The casket may be made as a frame, of wood or other suitable material, with the cloth or other ornamental covering, and it is generally preferable to employ rollers in the inside of the casket, on which the coliin is rolled in withdrawing it.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the casket of a more ornamental sli ape than in Fig. l, and I remark that the lla-t top portion h of the casket is pret'- erably screwed to the molding` portion y, and lo the latter is hinged at i to the bottom portion j" of the casket, so that the entire lid and had a removable end to allow of the coffin being-pnt into and taken out of it.

I am also aware that an exterior finished 2 5 cot'n has been employed as a covering for an interior or common coffin, which containsthe corpse. This cofn is, however, a simple shell to put over the interior case, and it is Without a bottom. Neither is there a lining or remov- 3o able end and rollers, such as I employ.

I claim as my invention- An outer ornamental coffin or casket, provided With movable lids and a movable end, and a hanging lining attached to theinterior 35 portion thereof', substantially as set forth, whereby the hanging lining can be passed into the interior caseorcofn containing the corpse, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 31st day ot' August, A.L 4o D. 1882.

GEO. s. EATON.

Witnesses: i

HAROLD'SERRELL, l WILLIAM G.M0Tr. 

